Elderly woman drowns after accidentally falling into canal

Dalia Maria Perez, 71 pronounced dead at hospital

LAYTON, Fla. – An elderly woman appears to have accidentally drowned in a canal in the Florida Keys Thursday afternoon.

A neighbor told police she heard screaming and when she looked outside, a woman was in a canal hanging onto a jet ski, which was docked there.

Recommended Videos



Police say it appears Dalia Maria Perez, 71 fell into the canal and her husband was trying to throw her a rope to pull her back up.

The neighbor says she continued to hear yelling a few minutes later, and saw Perez starting to drift away from the jet ski, so she jumped into the canal to try to rescue her. The neighbor performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took over.

Perez was taken to Fisherman's Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death, but detectives do not suspect foul play.


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.